Suction cleaner dome mounting construction



4 f8 WH Feb. l0, 1953 E. F. MARTINET 2,627,936

sUcTIoN CLEANER DONE MOUNTING CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 24, 195o ze 15 /f I l g mw H 47 /49 7,

uw NN 8 f Bxwcntor Eugene EMwri/ine (ttorncgs Patented Feb. 10, 1953 SUCTION CLEANER DOME MOUNTING. CON STRUCTION`v Eugene F. Martinet, Cleveland, Ohio,` assignor to Royal Vacuuml Cleaner Company, Cleveland, O hio, a, corporation of Ohio Application August 24, 195,0,l Serial No. 181,267

3 Claims, (Cl. 18S-37') The invention relates to suction cleaners, and more particularly to a mounting construction for mounting a dome, motor-fan unit, and nlter supporting cone of a preferably vertical tank type suction cleaner so as to provide an adequate and eective seal at all times between the suction and exhaust sides of the fan, and the interior and exterior of the dome.

In the prior art construction of a vertical tank type suction cleaner the dome or cover element for the cleaner tank has been assembled mechanically with a filter supporting cone, and the motor-fan unit has been supported in some manner from the dome-cone assembly. It has 'been diilrlcult in such constructions to readily position and seal the connection between the dome and the, cone, and to eiectively SupDOl't the mOOlfan unit within the assembly.v Such prior constructions have involved the use of rubber gaskets, a sealing compound, and the maintenance of very close. tolerances in the. size and assembly of the sheet metal dome and cone parts, in spite of which air leakage which reduces the eiciency of the cleanerhas been prevalent.

Accordingly, it is, an object of the present invention to provide a new dome, motor-fan unit, and lter cone assembly for a vertical tank type suction cleaner which provides a positive and effective seal between the parts and between the interior and exterior of the assembled parts at all times when the cleaner is at rest or in operation.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new dome mounting con.- struction for a vertical tank type sucton clean;r in which the necessity for the maintenance of close tolerances in the size and assembly of sheet metal parts is eliminated; e Y

Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new dome mounting construction for a vertical tank type suction cleaner in which it is unnecessary to use shellac or other joint sealing compound material in the assembly of the parts in order to provide an adequate and effective seal.

Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new dome mounting construction for a vertical tank type suction cleaner which assists in maintaining isolation of noise and vibration incident to the operation of the motor and fan.

Finally, it is an object of the prese-nt invention to satisfy the need .and solve existing problems in the construction and mounting of the dome and parts assembled thereto of a vertical tank type suction cleaner, to eliminate prior art diniculties in, this, eld, generally to improve `and simplify tank type suction cleaner construction, and to obtain the foregoing advantages and desiderata in a simple, inexpensive, and effective manner.

These and other objects and advantages apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and claims may bev obtained, the stated results achieved, and the described difficulties overcome, by the improvements,4 elements, combinations, sub-combinations, arrangements, and constructions which comprise the present invention, the nature of which isset forth in the following general statement, a preferred embodiment of whichillustrative of the best mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principles-is set forth in the following description and shown in the drawing, and which are particularly and distinctly pointed out and set forth in, the appended claims forming par-t hereof.

rhe nature of the discoveries and improvements in dome mounting construction for vertical tank typesuction cleaners may bestated in general terms as preferablyy including in, a suc,- tion cleaner, a pan-like cleaner tank member, a dome or cover member for the tank member, a motor-fan unit for the claner, a filter supporting cone, a hollow annular rubber mounting ring carried by the dome member, means on the motor-fan unit engaging said rubber mounting ring, means securing the motor-fan unit and dome member together therebyy compressing a portion of said rubber mounting ring to provide a seal at the joint therebetween, said cone having a portion engaging said. rubberA mounting ring, means securing said cone and motor-,fanunit together thereby compressing another. portion of said rubber mounting ring to provide a seal at the joint therebetween, and means for releasably clamping said dome tol the cleaner tank member with the cone and motor-fan unit assembled thereto. v

By way of example, the improved suction cleaner dome mounting construction of the present invention, is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming part hereof,` wherein: v

Figure l is a side elevation of a suction cleane embodying the improved construction;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through the vertical tank type Suction cleaner of Fig. 1 illustrating some of the parts full lines; and

Fie! 3 is. an enlarged fragmentary Sectional view of a portion of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals refer to similar parte throughout the various figures of the drawing.

The suction cleaner apparatus shown in the drawing is a vertical tank type suction cleaner and as illustrated includes a pan-like dust collector, receptacle, base or tank member generally indicated at I, formed by a bottom wall 2 and an annular side wall 3 which terminates in an upper preferably beaded edge 4 so that the tank member I is upwardly open. The receptacle or tank member I is preferably provided with an inlet opening connector 5 with which the usual flexible hosev of a suction cleaner may be detachably connected. The hose may be provided in the usual manner at its outer end with a suitable nozzle or other tool for cleaning any desired surface or article. The air blast induced by the cleaner is drawn through such tool and hose and through the connector 5 into the interior of the tank member I.

A lter locating support member generally indicated at 6 is preferably centrally located within the tank member i at the bottom thereof, and the member 6 preferably includes a central conically formed portion 1. An annular preferably soft rubber ring 8 having a generally U-shaped ycross-section, as shown, is engaged over and around the upper beaded edge 4 of the receptacle side wall 3 in the usual manner, and a dome unit, generally indicated at 9, is mounted on the tank member I and clamped against the rubber ring 8 by releasable clamps I0 in the usual manner.

In accordance with the present invention, the dome unit 9 generally includes a dome member II, a motor-fan unit I 2 and a foraminous conical lter support member I3. The motor-fan unit I2 includes a motor and fan, not shown, mounted within an upper housing member I 5 and a lower housing member I6 secured together by bolts and spacer members I1, the housing member I6 being provided with an annular upwardly and outwardvly flared portion I8 terminating in an outturned der 24 which terminates in a downturned ange A hollow rubber mounting ring 26 is seated against shoulder 24 within dome flange 25 and the annular ring 26 in accordance with the present invention is provided with an upper hollow chamber 21 and a lower hollow chamber 28 each closed from the exterior and extending completelv annularly around the member 26. As best illustrated in Fig. 3, an annular groove or recess 29 extends annularly around the ring 26 on the inner surface thereof in which groove 29 the flange I 9 of the lower motor housing member I6 is seated; and the lower annular surface of the ring 26 is recessed at 30 for a purpose to be later described.

The upper housing member I 5 of the motor-fan unit I2 terminates in a connector member 3l, and a cup-shaped member 312 surrounds connector member 3I and is secured by screws 33 to housing member I5. The side wall 34 of cupshaped member 32 is perforated, as illustrated, and terminates at its upper end in an outturned flange 35 which engages over the dome wall 20 of the dome member I I at the edge of the central opening therein. A removable closure 36 is provided for closing the upper open end of the cupshaped member 32, and the dome unit 9 may be provided with a supporting handle 31. When the cover member 36 is removed, the usual exible suction cleaner hose may be attached to connector 3I for using the cleaner as a blower, the connector 3l comprising the exhaust outlet of the motor-fan unit I2.

A partition member 33 is provided within dome member I I and surrounding upper housing member I5 for supporting within the upper end of the dome member an annular ring 39 of sound insulating and air pressure disbursing material which may be wool-like or other fibrous material through which air may pass. The portion 2I of dome member II is perforated as indicated at 49 at Fig. 1 for the passage of exhaust air from the cleaner in normal operation when the cover member 36 is in place. The dome unit 9 is provided with a suitable switch 4I controlling power to the motor-ian unit I2 from any suitable source. as through wires 42.

In assembling the dome unit 9, the rubber mounting ring 26 is assembled to motor-fan unit I2 with flange i9 in ring recess 29. Partition member 38 is slipped over top of top housing member I5 and sound filtering material 39 is placed thereon. Dome member II is then telescoped over these parts and ring 26 seats within the ange 25 of the dome -member II against shoulder 24. The cup-shaped member 32 is then inserted in the central opening in the top w-all 20 of dome member I I, and the cup-shaped member is secured by screws 33 to the upper housing member I5 of the motor-fan unit I2.

As the screws 33 are secured, the motor-fan unit I2 moves upward with respect to the dome member II, so that the ange I9 of the lower housing member I6 compresses the upper annular portion of the rubber mounting ring 26 between flange I9 and -shoulder 24, thus providing an airtight seal between the upper surface of iiange I9 of member I 6 and dome member I I, the space enclosed between the said members comprising the exhaust end of the motor-fan unit I2. Since the members I 6 and l I are formed of sheet metal and because of the curvature I8 of the member I6 and the curvature 20 of dome member II and because of the inherent slight flexibility or resilience of these sheet metal parts, these parts give somewhat as the screws 33 are tightened, thereby imparting a resilient clamping pressure between the iiange I9 of the lower housing mem.- ber I6 and the shoulder 24 of the dome member II which maintains the upper portion of the rubber mounting ring 26 tightly clamped and squeezed at all times. A slight clearance is provided between the lower end of the cup member 32 and the upper end of the upper housing member I5 before the screws 33 are secured so as to insure that this clamping pressure is established. Thus a predetermined amount of pressure or loading on the upper portion of the rubber mounting ring 26 is obtained.

The cone member I3 is then assembled to the dome member I'I and motor-fan unit I2 by placing the same over the lower end of the moto-rfan unit and securing the cone Amember I3 to the motor-fan unit I2 by screw 43 which engages the cone I3 centrally at 44 and is screwed into the lower housing member I6 of the motor'- fan unit I2. The outer or upper open end of the cone member I3 is provided with a ange 45 which is received in the annular recess 30 (Fig. 3) in the under surface of the mounting ring 26, thereby preventing any metal-to-metal contact between the cone I3 and dome member I'I and housing member I6v at the outer or open.

end' of the cone. The recess 30, in addition, centers thev cone` as the connection between the members is eiected byt-ig-hten-ing the screwl 43.

As the screw 43 is tightened, flange 45 `on the conemember I3 compresses the lower annular portion of the rubber mounting ring 26' against the'ange I9 of the-*lower housing member I, thus providing an airtight seal between thelower surface of the ange- I9 of member I6` andi the flange 45 of` cone I3. Since the space between the interior of cone member I-3 and the lowerexteriorl of housing member I5 communicates with the suction side of the motor-fan unit lf2, any leakage at the joint between flanges I9 and 45 and rubber ring' 25 wou-ld cut down the eiliciency of the cleaner, if' an airtight seal is not provided at such joint.

y The provision of the single, central screwf 43 forconnecting the cone member I3 to the moto-rfanV unit I2 furthermore enables the lange i5 of the cone member I3 to clamp against the rubber mounting ring 26 with equalized pressure around its periphery so as to insure the attainment of the tightly sealed lioint entirely around the periphery of the flange 45. Furthermore, the complete assembly of the parts of the dome unit 9 provides for compressing the rubber mounting ring 26 axiallyA from both ends, thus tightly pinching the flange I9 on the motor-fan unit in the groove 29 so that, in eiiect, the motor-fan unit is supportedv in a floating manner between the dome II and cone I3.

Therubber mounting ring 28, prior to assembly, has air under atmospheric pressure trapped within chambers 21 and 2S, so that this ring may be termed a zero pressure rubber mounting ring. The pressure exerted axially on the mounting ring 2-6 when the screws 33 and 43 are tightened for assembly of the parts of the dome unit Si. compresses the upper and lower portions of the mounting ring 26, thereby reducing the size of the "zero pressure chambers 21 and 28 therein. This reduced size of the chambers results in compressing the air therein a desired predetermined amount, so that these portions of the ring thereafter exert an expandingA pressure on the partsv assembled therewith.

When the dome member S is assembled with the tank member I., a conical parer dust-filtering member 46 is placed in the upper open end ofthe tank member I and centered by the filter locating member S, as indicated at Il?. rThe yielding clamp members Ill arf,` then enge ged over the shoulder 24 of the dome unit il to secure the Home unit 9 to the tank member I thus providing a sealedk joint. as indicated at 4S between the cone member I3 and rubber ring 8 in a band-like zone extending around the conical surface of the cone member I3. As shown at Fig. 3, when this sealed joint is made, there is still a slight clearance between the paper and cone flange 45 and the top surface of rubber ring 8. Thus, the upper rim of the tank member is sealed in airtight rela-tion against the cone member I3 by rub-ber ring 8. Also cone member I3, motor-fan unit housing member I6, and dome member II are sealed in airtight relation by rubber mounting ring 26 so that there can be no air leakage or suction loss from the cleaner at any of the joints between the various parts described.

Accordingly, when the motor is operated to drive the fan in the motor-fan unit I2, a suction is established at the lower end of the motorfan unit within cone member I3 which draws duced` by- Ithe fan in thev motor-fan unit: I 2, av

downward thrust reaction of unit I2 occurs, as: indicated by' the arrow 4911 in Fig. 1'. Such thrust may tend' to move. the motor-.fan unit' I2, orthe, entire domev unit 9, downward somewhat` relative to the remaining parts, but such downward movement cannot break the airtightness of the joints previously described. If .there isany relative downward movement. of the.; ilange. I9, thel internal pressure of' the: cavity:l 21 `in rubber;

mounting ring 26 compensatesvl for-the sameand maintains the airtightness of thev joint. Downl ward movement of the dome unit 9; as a. whole, only tends to. increase the tightness of the seal at 48 between the cone and rubber ring' 8. Fur-- thermore, any tendency of downward movement of the motor-fan unit due to the thrust-reaction indicated at 49, tends 'to increase the seal between ange I9 and cone member I3.

The releasable clamping members I0 likewise have a yielding construction, such as illustrated and described in the copending application of` Martinet and' Koren, Serial No. 85,975, so as to maintain the dome unit il:l and tank member I. clamped tightly together while the motor is. run-V ning despite any resulting thrust reaction 4&1 which may occur.

The rubber mounting ring 26 furthermore adequately isolates noise and vibration of the motorfan unit I2 incident to motor operation, fromr the domel member II and other metal parts of the cleaner. so thatl such noiseand vibration are not transmitted to these metal parts` orv amplied thereby'. This noise and; vibration isolation characteristic of the improved construction of the present invention results because of thel so-called "oating mounting of the motor-fan unit in the rubber ring 26 previously described. by which the flange I9 is held. in effect, between air cushions in the annular zero pressure chambersv 21 and; 28'.

Because of the particular constructionV and arrangement of the parts1 utilized in assembling the various members of the dome. unit 9L which have been described, it is unnecessary to maintain close tolerances in the malnradzurev and assembly of these parts: and furthermore, it is unnecessary to use shellac or other .ioint sealing meansin the assembly of the rubber' mounting ring 26 with the sheet` metal parts of the dome unit: 9.

Accordingly, the particular construction and arrangement of the rubber mounting ring 26 and related parts perform a number of functions. First, a tight dome seal is provided. Second, a tight cone seal is provided. Third, the motor-fan unit is tightly mounted with noise and vibration isolation. Fourth, the motor-fan unit is mounted in a oating manner. Fifth, close tolerances in production are eliminated. Sixth, the use of shellac or other joint sealing means is eliminated.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a new and improved construction for the assembly of the dome, cone. motor-fan unit, and tank of a vertical tank type suction cleaner and provides a construction which eliminates prior art dimculties and overcomes long standing problems in the art.

In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding; but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such terms are used for descriptive purposes herein and not for the purpose of limitation, and are intended to be broadly construed.

Moreover, the description of the improvements is by way of example and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details illustrated, nor to the specific devices shown.

Having now described the features, discoveries, and principles of the invention, the construction and operation of a preferred embodiment thereof, and the advantageous, new, and useful results obtained thereby; the new and useful elements; combinations, sub-combinations, arrangements, and constructions, and mechanical equivalents obvious to those skilled in the art, are set forth in theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a vertical tank type suction cleaner, a dome unit comprising a dome member having an annular shoulder adjacent its open end, a. motor fan` unit having an annular flange, a lter supporting cone, an annular rubber mounting ring carried by and within the dome member seated against said annular shoulder, said ring including walls forming spaced upper and lower annular cavities within the ring and an annular groove open radially inward of the ring between said upper and lower cavities, said ange being seated in said groove, means securing the motor-fan unit and dome member together thereby compressing said upper cavity between said ange and shoulder, the cone having an annular flange engaging the ring below the lower cavitied portion thereof, and means axially securing said cone and motor-fan unit together thereby compressing said 'lower cavity between said flanges.

'2. In a'vertical tank type suction cleaner, a pan-like cleaner tank member, a dome member for the tank member having an annular shoulder adjacent its open end, a motor-fan unit within the tank and dome members, a lter supporting cone, a hollow 4annular resilient mounting ring carried by and seated within "the dome member against said annular shoulder, flange means on the motor-fan unit engaging said mounting ring, means engageable between the motor-fan unit 'and dome member to move the motor-fan unit ange toward said shoulder and secure the motorfan unit and dome member together thereby compressing a portion of said mounting ring between said ange means and shoulder and sealing the joint therebetween, the cone having a :flange portion engaging said mounting ring, means axially engageable between the cone and motor-fan unit to move the cone flange portion toward said motor-fan unit flange and secure said cone and motor-fan unit together thereby compressing another portion of said mounting ring between said cone flange portion and motor-fan unit flange and sealing the joint therebetween, and means releasably clamping said dome member to the tank member with the cone and motor-fan unit assembled thereto.

3. In a vertical tank type suction cleaner, a pan-like cleaner tank member, a dome unit for the tank member comprising a sheet metal dome member having a resilient top portion and an annular shoulder adjacent its open end, a motorfan unit having a resilient annular sheet metal mounting flange, a lter supporting cone, a hollow annular rubber mounting ring carried by and seated within the dome member against said annular shoulder, said motor-fan unit flange engaging said mounting ring, means engageable between said dome and motor-fan units to move said flange toward said shoulder thereby cornpressing a portion of said mounting ring between said flange and shoulder and sealing the joint therebetween, the cone having a flange engaging said mounting ring, axially extending bolt means engageable between said cone and motor-fan units to secure the cone and motor-fan units together and to draw said cone flange toward said motor-fan unit flange thereby compressing another portion of said mounting ring between said flanges and sealing the joint therebetween, and means releasably clamping said dome unit to the tank member with the cone and motor-fan unit assembled thereto.

EUGENE F. MARTINET.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,431,907 Cramer Oct. 10, 1922 2,123,578 Renaux et al. July 12, 1938 2,276,844 Holm-Hansen Mar. 17, 1942 2,280,495 Martinet Apr. 21, 1942 2,587,565 Yonkers Feb. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 379,506 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1932 Y 6,208 Australia Aug. 25, 1927 660,896 Germany June 4, 1938 

